Authors: C. E. Snyder

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Suspense

Finding Carrie (32 page)

BOOK: Finding Carrie

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Isaac pulled her hands away from her face. “Carrie, it was only an accident. You didn’t do it. He went there to end his life. There wasn’t anything you could have done about it.”

“I couldn’t stop him from leaving us, and I couldn’t protect your mother. I’m a failure, and I don’t deserve anyone,” Carrie said.

“Carrie, what is it that my mother was always saying?” He paused for her to answer. “Huh?”

“That it wouldn’t happen unless it was supposed to happen,” Carrie said, wiping her nose with her hand.

“Then that’s what was supposed to happen. It is unfortunate, but it was meant to be,” Isaac said in his soothing voice.

“He told me that he fixed us up. He planted things in our heads so we would meet. He said we were meant to be together,” she said, wiping at her face.

“Well, I would have to agree with him,” Isaac said, sticking his chin out, smiling.

“He also told me that he was never their father and that role was always yours,” Carrie said.

“Well, I can’t go against his wishes, now can I?” he asked, still smiling.

“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” she asked.

“How can I when you have done nothing wrong?” he confirmed. She reached for him, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I love you,” he said.

“Don’t you mean
Aishite imasu
?” she asked against his neck.

“Yes, I do,” he said. “You’re getting tired. Let’s get you back to your room.” She waved at everyone before he pushed her out of the room.

Carrie was relieved that Isaac didn’t run away. She had done what she promised, she had said what needed to be said, and now she was going to rest. She fell asleep on the way back to her room. She dreamed of nothing but good things while she was out. She was at peace for the first time since he had died. She had her husband, and she had all those memories that she held dear to her heart. She still had that man out there, though, but she promised Hana that she wouldn’t let him ruin her life. And she won’t.

Epilogue

Christmas Eve

Carrie and Isaac’s First Wedding Anniversary

H
is hands were shaking, as they always did at this time of day. He opened the door to the apartment that he shared with his wife and his daughters. When the door opened, she wasn’t in her chair that she was always in when he came home. He went to walk in, but the girls pushed past him. He stepped in and went to shut the door behind him, but the door shut itself. He didn’t have a chance to turn around before someone hugged him from the back. “You’re home,” Carrie said, leaning her head into him.

“I’m home,” he said trying to turning around to kiss her. He found her mouth with his and devoured her. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered against her mouth.

“So have I,” she said. The girls walked in and made a noise of disgust.

“Come on, Mom and Dad, give it a rest. I have never seen a time when you two weren’t kissing,” Sabrina said, making a rude face. “I mean, I know you two love each other and all. I’m happy about that, but do you really have to do that all the time?” Carrie and Isaac just smiled at one another, still holding one another in their arms.

“Sabrina,” Sierra said. “Mom was afraid of Isaac for like a day. Don’t you remember that?”

“Yes, I do, I guess,” Sabrina said, going to sit on the couch to watch TV. Sierra went to sit next to her.

“I wasn’t afraid of you,” Carrie said, stepping away from Isaac’s arms, then walked around him toward the kitchen.

“I thought you were. You didn’t want to come anywhere near me,” Isaac said, following Carrie to kitchen.

“How was rehearsal, by the way?” she asked, changing the subject. Then she stopped to lean on the counter. Isaac stopped in front of her and put a hand on either side of her, caging her in.

“It was excellent, I must say. I’m a natural at playing Daddy Warbucks,” Isaac said.

“Is Sierra ready for opening night next week?” Carrie asked with concern in her voice. She was more worried about the play than Sierra was.

“Of course I am,” Sierra said, coming into the kitchen. “I can’t wait, and most of all, I will have my real daddy playing with me. With us being a team, we are bound to wow the crowd, right, Dad?” Sierra asked, turning to Isaac.

“That’s right, Annie, we will.” He high-fived Sierra before she turned to leave. Then he turned to face Carrie again. “She’ll be fine. She never forgets her lines, and she tells me where I’m supposed to stand,” Isaac said to reassure her.

“She’s going to be on stage the entire show. I just don’t want anything to go wrong,” Carrie said with tears burning the back of her eyes.

“Carrie, you have nothing to worry about. She’s a star, and I’ll be there if she needs help,” Isaac said. “How was writing?”

“Oh.” Carrie jumped away from him to run to her desk. “Something came today that I want to show you.” She was so excited. She ran to her desk and picked up a book. Holding it to her chest, she walked back to the kitchen. “Close your eyes, my love.” Isaac closed his eyes. “Now open them.”

When he opened his eyes, she was holding a book titled
Finding Carrie
. “The book, the cover is amazing.” The picture on the cover was of the two of them hugging. He couldn’t see their faces, but he knew it was them.

“I know. I gave them two pictures, and I’m so happy that they picked this one. Hey, look at this.” She pointed to a sentence at the bottom of the book cover. “Based on true events that happened in my life,” she read out loud. “Can you believe it?”

“I was there. I believe it,” Isaac said, beaming.

“Oh,” she said, handing him the book. “I want you to read the dedication. It was so hard to keep that a secret.” He took the book and opened it to the dedication page.

“To my soul-mother, Hana. Though you were taken from us physically, they can’t take you emotionally. You will always be in our hearts. We will always love you for all the days of our lives,” Isaac read out loud. “It’s beautiful,” he commented and kissed her on the forehead where the X over her right eye was now light pink.

“Read on,” she said, turning the page.

“Oh,” he said when she pointed to a different dedication. “To my beloved Isaac, thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t remember you. I will grow old and gray with you, love you, and I will always believe in you.” Isaac looked close to tears. “I love you so much.” He set the book down on the counter and kissed the pink line that came off the corner of her mouth. “Forever,” he whispered.

“Yeah, and who knew that Jacob was the one to fix us up? I mean, from beyond the grave, at that,” she said, waving her arms up in the air.

“I know,” Isaac said, pulling her closer. “I can’t believe that my mother warned us in her own little way about Dad.”

“I know, but she could have just said that he had cancer instead of telling me to tell Lee Lee to take care of him. Do you think that’s why he let go so soon? Because he wanted to be with your mother?” Carrie asked.

“I don’t know, probably. It might have given him a way out so he could be with her again,” he said and looked down. “I lost both of my parents this year; I’m so glad I didn’t lose you too,” Isaac said, leaning his head over hers.

“I know, and I think I have convinced Lee Lee to come live here with us. She said she would give it a try,” Carrie said, closing her eyes.

“I hope so. I’d hate to think of her being out there all alone with Sam here and all,” Isaac said.

“Yeah, and who knew that his ‘destiny’”—she was making quotations marks in the air with her finger—“was the Destiny,” making quotations marks again, “that lived across the hall?” Carrie laughed softly.

“Yeah, I didn’t even know her name until Sam started to date her,” Isaac said, leaning back to look Carrie in the eyes.

“I have to confess, I didn’t even know that anyone lived there,” Carrie said. “We are just so wrapped in each other that we just don’t notice anyone else, I guess.”

“Yes, but you have to be careful. That man is still out there,” Isaac cautioned.

“I know, Isaac. I promised that if I was going to go anywhere, I would call Sasha, and I have kept up my part in that agreement. However, I also promised Mom that I wouldn’t let him ruin my life by worrying, and I won’t,” Carrie said with a sigh.

“Oh, I just don’t want anything to happen to you, that’s all,” Isaac said, stroking her hair.

“I know. That’s why I love you so much.” Carrie grinned.

“Oh, is that why, huh? Because I’m so protective?” Isaac asked, squeezing her tighter.

“Well, it’s more because you care enough to want to keep me safe,” she said shyly.

“I do. You’re the only one for me, and that is the way it’s going to stay,” he explained.

“Good,” she said and leaned up to kiss him. The earth seemed to disappear when they were kissing. Could it always be that way when the man with the scar across his face was still out there somewhere?

“As long as the world keeps turning, I will always love you,” Isaac said.

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